Americans find Google more reputable than Facebook and Apple: Poll

 

Washington: Majority of people prefer using Google over its rivals Apple and Facebook when it comes to the all-important game of reputation, a new poll has found.

According to the Washington Post-ABC News Poll, this asked respondents how they feel about some of the country's top tech firms, showed that 83 percent of Americans have a favourable view of Google as compared to 72 percent people who prefer Apple and 60 percent who supported Facebook.

The poll shows how different Americans view Apple, Facebook and Google.

According to the Washington Post, the overall results are similar to responses that respondents gave last year, when a Washington Post-ABC News Poll found that Google had an 82 percent favourable rating, as compared to Apple at 74 percent and Facebook at 58 percent.

The poll found that Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 tended to have higher goodwill towards the tech firms. But Apple's standing with users under age 30 dropped significantly from last year's poll.

The iPhone and iPad maker has a 71 percent favourable rating with the youngest respondents, down from last year's 81 percent rating.

Facebook is still far more popular among the youngest users polled, favourable ratings outnumber unfavourable by 3 to 1 for 18- to 29-year-olds, the poll found.

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Facebook could boost confidence of first-gen college students

Washington: Facebook connections can help first-generation college applicants believe in their abilities to both apply to school and excel once they have gotten enrolled, a new study has suggested.

"We are very excited by these findings, because they suggest that the kinds of interactions supported by Facebook and other social media can play a role in helping young people, especially those who are traditionally less likely to go to college, feel more confident about their ability to get into college and to succeed there," said Nicole Ellison, associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Information.

First-generation applicants might not come into contact on a daily basis with people who support their interest in college or who can answer questions about it, Ellison said.

"Our message to high school students is that even if they are disadvantaged in terms of financial resources or parental support, social media can help them access resources they may already have in their extended social networks," said D. Yvette Wohn, a doctoral student at Michigan State University and first author of the study.

The researchers surveyed more than 500 high school students in lower-income Muskegon County, Michigan.

They used statistical models to examine how various factors were correlated with the students' confidence in their ability to apply to college and their expectations of success there.

The factors they examined include demographics, family history of college attendance, parents' community involvement, and both informational and emotional support by parents, friends and Facebook connections.

To gauge how well the students understood the college application process, the survey asked participants about social media use and to rate how strongly they agreed or disagreed with four statements such as: "I know how to apply for financial aid" and "I know what I need to include in a college application."

Of the sample, 12 percent had used social media to get information about how to apply to school.

The researchers found that after controlling for all other factors, first-generation students who "strongly agreed" that they used social media in this way, felt 1.8 times more confident about their understanding of the application process, compared with students who did not use social media for this type of information.

This correlation didn't hold true for students whose parents had graduated from college.

To see how well the participants expected to do in school, the researchers had them rate on a scale from 1 for "strongly disagree" to 5 for "strongly agree," statements such as "I am confident that I will fit in socially in college" and "I am confident that I am able to successfully graduate from college." Overall, first-generation students reported much lower expectations, with a mean score of 2.84, compared with 4.01 for the others.

A full 70 percent of all students had a Facebook friend who either was in college or had gone and could answer questions about it. The researchers found that all else being equal, first-generation students who strongly agreed that they had this type of Facebook connection were 2.3 times more confident in their ability to succeed in school, compared with their peers who had no Facebook friend they could talk about college with.

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Top 10 ways to prevent breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women both in developed and the developing world. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the number of breast cancer, which claims lives of hundreds of thousands of women each year, will climb to an alarming figure by 2020 and one in every eight women would run the risk of getting the disease in her lifetime.

In India, there has been a steep rise in figures pertaining to women being diagnosed with breast cancer over the last two decades that the disease has been declared the most common form of cancer, almost exceeding cervical cancer as the deadliest of all cancers.

While there is no definite way to prevent breast cancer, there are things that women can do that might help them cut the risk of getting the disease in their life. Here are some of the best methods that health experts often recommend on how to prevent getting breast cancer:

Maintain a healthy body weight: Obesity is one of the main culprits that cause cancer among post menopausal women. One should avoid gaining weight over time and try to keep a body-mass index (BMI) less than 25.

Avoid or limit alcohol intake: Alcohol use is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Studies have shown that consuming more than one alcoholic beverage a day can boost breast cancer risk by as much as 20-25 percent.

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables:Try to include as much as fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. All cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower), dark leafy greens (collards, kale, spinach), carrots and tomatoes are some of the foods that have protection properties against breast cancer. Citrus, berries and cherries are superstar fruits for breast cancer protection.

Exercise regularly: Research suggests that regular exercise cuts overall breast cancer risk by about 10 to 30 percent. A moderate exercise like a 30-minute walk five or more days a week can be effective.

Know your carbs: Cut down on food with high glycemic index- white flour, white rice, white potatoes, sugar, etc, as these foods activate hormonal changes that help cellular growth in breast tissue. Instead, opt for whole grains and beans/legumes which have high fiber and lignan content.

Do your fats right: The type of oil that you consume can influence your breast cancer risk. Cut down on omega-6 fats, saturated fats and trans-fats. Instead increase your intake of omega-3 fats found in oily fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, lake trout and herring. Also, it is advised to replace animal fats with vegetable oils. Olive oil, canola, avocadoes have anti-cancer properties.

Avoid smoking: Several studies have shown that long-term smoking is associated with increased risk of breast cancer in some women.

Breastfeeding: Women who breast feed their babies for at least a year in total have a lesser risk of developing breast cancer later.

Medication: Tamoxifen is an estrogen antagonist with proven benefit for the treatment of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer. Furthermore, tamoxifen reduces the incidence of a second primary breast cancer by 50% in women who received the drug as adjuvant therapy for a first breast cancer, said Dr Vathsala HT, MBBS, MS-General Surgery, (MCh) from PGIMER, Chandigarh.

Prophylactic bilateral mastectomy may be considered in patients with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.

Apart from these, monthly self-breast examination and annual clinical breast examination should be conducted.

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Top summer hair care tips!

This sizzling summer heat can give you a plethora of problems - skin, hair and other health issues. With the mercury soaring to 45 degree Celsius, this is the season where you need to be more conscious about your eating habits calling for a change in diet and other healthy living tips.

And yes, hair problem is one of the most common health issues that almost every women face during this extreme hot season. Heat is the most harmful thing for hair as experts say, your locks suffer damage even more than your skin as a result of high temperature.

Here are some best summer hair care tips for you girls.

-Always go out with your head covered with a scarf, hat or umbrella to avoid direct exposure of hair to sun. Effects of direct sun rays on hair can be harsh in many ways. Exposing your hair for even 10 minutes produce 70-80 degrees Celsius heat and this can crack your cuticle. It can also harm your hair’s outer structure, suck out moisture and can even burn your scalp.

-Use right shampoo and conditioner according to your hair type. It is always safe to go for mild or herbal shampoos during this season as you need to wash your hair frequently. Experts also suggest using products that contain sunscreen.

-Serum is very necessary as it acts as a sunscreen for your hair. Your hair becomes dry and dull losing its moisture during this time of year; hence, hair serum is the perfect way to protect them from heat-related damage.

-Try massaging your scalp every day for a few minutes to stimulate circulation and to remove dead skin cells. This will also help in preventing dandruff.

-Oiling your strands before washing from roots to tips is a magical antidote to several hair problems from lifeless tresses, damaged ends to stress relief. Hot oil massage is considered to be a perfect solution to people with dry scalp condition.

-Wash your locks with lukewarm water. However, some people put ice in the water to make it cold which is wrong. Water temperature should neither be too hot nor too cold; it should be balanced.

-Comb (preferably wide toothed comb) your hair at least 4 times a day to get rid of dust particles.

-Treating dandruff: Wash your hair every alternate day. Grab any good anti-dandruff shampoo to wash your locks, but use it only once or twice a week to avoid dryness. Exposure to sun and sweat is the main cause of dandruff during summers. It is best to avoid exposure to sun and keep your scalp clean, dry and cool.

-Have regular trims to avoid split ends. Trim your hair while it is dry and avoid wet trimming as this can worsen the condition. Experts often advise to keep hairs short during this season.

Above all, a well-balanced diet is the key to keeping your hair healthy and strong. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables, nuts, brown rice, beans and pulses to have those healthy and lustrous tresses. Also, drink plenty of water.

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Eating kiwis can make your skin glow

It is to hear by that Eating at least three portions of fruit and vegetables daily - including carrots, cabbages and kiwi fruit - gives your skin a "healthy" radiance akin to a tan after just a few weeks, a new study has revealed.

Psychologists from the University of St Andrews analysed the impact fruit and vegetable consumption had on perception of skin colour.

Pictures were taken of men and women to analyse their skin tone before and after the test period.

Researchers found that increased fruit and vegetable consumption led to a deepening of natural red and yellow skin colouration, the Daily Mail reported.

They calculated that 2.9 portions of fruit and veggies a day over a six-week period are enough to make people look more healthy, while 3.3 portions will boost attractiveness.

In a second project, participants were asked to "judge" the pictures to rate how attractive the faces were. Those with the "healthy glow" were deemed most desirable.

Campaigners struggling to persuade people to eat the recommended five portions of fruit and veggies a day could use the findings to promote the idea that such products are not only healthy, but make you more attractive.
"Advertising the results of our work could be persuasive in motivating individuals to eschew the dangers of excess ultraviolet exposure in favour of improving diet, which we show to be a more effective way of improving appearance," Dr Ross Whitehead, who led the study, said.

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